The only Residence Pipe Organ ever produced by the famous builder, Gavioli & Cie, Paris, France, is now in our inventory and ready for purchase by a museum or top-end collector. Gavioli is known world wide for its magnificent fair ground organs, band organs and crank organs but little was known about its Residence Pipe Organs, until recently.

Just before the turn of the century (ca. 1898), Gavioli produced a large self-contained classical 101-key book playing Residence Pipe Organ. Gavioli envied the "popular organs of the "day" produced by Welte. Therefore, he studied the Welte organs in the Black Forest of Germany and decided he could produce the "largest and best" residence organ ever built.

Gavioli had a vision of producing 13 of these fine instruments (expanded range Weltes), for installation in the walls of large homes in France or with cabinets requested by the buyers. It has now been confirmed by a world's authority that instrument design was based on a Welte 6 Orchestrion with range and features up to a Welte 10, the largest produced by Welte. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE AROUND THE WORLD, produced by Gavioli in 1898.

This first instrument was placed in a magnificent case with "gold" filigree, over 275 metal and wooden pipes, lots of carvings, a 90-key book playing mechanism, a rank of exposed facade pipes and a keyboard with 11 pull stops for manual playing. Twenty-one classical "Gavioliphone" organ books, dated December 3, 1900, were produced and are in "like new" condition today.

After producing this first organ, Gavioli decided against his plans for the production of 12 more instruments. Production costs for this high quality instruments was above the turn-of-the-century market so no more were ever produced by Gavioli. Perhaps Welte "objected" to the design with his friend Gavioli Sr.??

Recently obtained historical information shows this instrument was likely used as a "demonstrator" in the Gavioli office / factory in Paris, France, at the turn of the 20th century. As business slowed, Gavioli focused on their worldwide sales of fine band and fairground organs and less on their new adventure into the Residence Organ market. "Gavioli & Cie" became "Gavioli S.A." in 1904, confirming that the Gavioli we now own was produced before that time. Recent information confirms that this instrument was designed after the Welte orchestrions and is declared as "the most important mechanical instrument during the 20th century" in an upcoming, authoritative book on "orchestrions".

This organ is a magnificent 12-1/2 foot high instrument, which includes a wonderful carved gallery. At the center top of it's 10 foot high main case, in brass inlay, is "Gavioli & Cie" and underneath is "Paris." Its history after the turn of the century and its "disappearance" from the Gavioli factory were recently clarified. The instrument was shipped to a collector in Italy and returned to France just before WWII, where it remained until 1999. At that time, most items in this collection were offered to buyers all over the world.

The Gavioli Organ is totally original and complete. Overall, it measures approximately 12-1/2 feet high, over 6 feet wide and about 5 feet deep. It weighs about 1,500 pounds (uncrated and assembled). There are 21 original classical music 90-key books for the instrument. In addition, more classical books will be produced in Europe in the Spring of 2005 by Arthur Prinsen, world-renowned music arranger and producer. IN ADDITION, the Gavioli has a non-obtrusive 100-key MIDI Welte player installed along with several hundred "Concert Welte" midi melodies for SPECTACULAR, ORIGINAL PERFORMANCES.

The organ has received a "100 points + historical restoration" in the wonderful shops of "The Great Canadian Nickelodeon Company, LTD" in Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada. Ronald and Sue Schmuck operate one of the finest restoration shops in the world, with over 80 years of family operation and experience.

This one-of-a-kind, confirmed "historically significant" organ deserves only the finest collection or museum. Its absence from Europe will be sorely missed. It was made available in Europe, initially but was rejected. It's return to its "birthplace" in Paris, France, is doubtful.

Acknowledgments: I wish to express my sincere appreciation to those who furnished historical knowledge on this important Gavioli instrument, particularly Arthur Ord-Hume of Europe.

If you want to see more pictures of this rare instrument click on Show the Pictures.